Benue government raises alarm over threat to agriculture, food security

Agency ReporterMarch 29, 2018

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Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. James Anbua, on Thursday, raised an alarm over the emerging threat to food security in the state.

Anbua made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja after the maiden National Conference on Smallholder Farmers’ Skills Acquisition, organised by the Farmer Business School (FBS).

He said that the food basket status of the state was being threatened as a result of the persistent crisis in the state.

There is already a threat to food security in Benue State because of the crisis which has ravaged parts of our state.

Most of the paddy rice and other crops were destroyed by herders and Benue State lost rice worth over N8 billion in the two local government areas affected by the crisis.

This year, we could have recorded a bumper harvest, especially in the areas of rice, soya bean and cassava cultivation but the herders completely destroyed many farms at the point of harvest.

As we are aware, the cropping season has started and most of our farmers are still living in IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) camps; they have yet to go back to their ancestral homes to prepare for the cropping season.

It is already a challenge; there is a threat to food security in Benue State and this is eliciting a lot of concern.

Even though we have the capacity and the manpower to maintain the food basket status but because of the challenge of the herders, we cannot actually actualise our dreams,’’ he said.

Anbua said that the security challenges facing the state should be addressed decisively so as to enable the country to earn more revenue from its yam export initiative.

Before now, we were not exporting yams but the federal and state administrations have made a giant stride in that regard, which is highly commendable.

We have now started exporting yams and Benue State alone produces over 54 per cent of the total world yam production; it will be good if concerted efforts are made to sustain the impact of the yam export initiative on our economy,’’ he said.

The commissioner, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government and its law enforcement agencies to tackle the security challenges facing the state.

NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari on March 26 inaugurated the National Food Security Council to boost the nation’s quest to attain food security and ensure efficiency in the agricultural sector of the economy.